In Which
by Kako Koritsi
Summary: Miyagi took it all in, swallowed the boy with his eyes. His gaping lips and wide-eyed expression, the sharpness in Shinobu's breathing. Yet again, he couldn't help but describe the sight in front of him as incredibly adorable.


"Really! Can you believe that? And then the way he looked at me afterwards-" Miyagi's talking came to an abrupt halt, and he let the silence suddenly fill the room, a slight frown appearing on his face. "Shinobu?"

Said blond boy was laid down on the couch, legs dangling off one of its arms, still dressed in his school uniform from today. He had been listening to Miyagi talk for a time, staring up at the ceiling as he did so, but over the course of their conversation, his features had slowly hardened into that familiar scowl. "What?"

Miyagi frowned harder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." His answer was choppy and his voice short, and the older man wasn't buying it.

"That's obviously not true. What is it? I thought you asked to hear about my day." Shinobu stayed quiet, crossing his arms over his chest as he moved on the couch, sitting up. "Shinobu-chin, I-"

"Why do you always talk about him so much?"

Miyagi blinked in surprise. "Him?" No answer. He sighed, before realizing what his lover must be going on about. "Do you mean my subordinate?"

Shinobu nodded. "He's all you ever talk about."

"You wanted to know about my day," Miyagi protested, repeating himself, and then he was on the receiving end of a grey-colored glare.

"Yes, but all of it! Not just him! He's all you ever talk about!" They had both repeated themselves by now, and now neither knew what to say, Miyagi rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as Shinobu let his gaze burn into the ground.

Finally, the professor spoke up again. "Nothing is going on between me and Kamijou. Why won't you believe that?"

"Because he's _all you ever talk about_!"

"Shinobu-" But the boy was already getting to his feet, his hands clenched into tight fists. Miyagi watched, his eyebrows creasing. "Where are you going?"

"To bed."

"At this time?" Shinobu nodded, barely sparing a glance over to Miyagi, while the man ran an hand over his features in exasperation, groaning. The younger only glared at this, storming off afterwards to go to the bedroom that they shared, alone. "Shinobu-chin! What about your cabbage stir-fry?"

"You can order food for yourself tonight!" With that, the door closed, almost slamming but not quite, and yet the noise still aggravated a headache the older man was beginning to have.

He loved this boy to death, but there was no denying that his lover was quite the handful. Especially when Miyagi seemed to make so many mistakes.

Shinobu had only spent ten minutes in the lonely bed, dressed in some night clothes that smelled like Miyagi, before a pair of strong arms wrapped around his form and stirred him from his light doze. The embrace was from behind, sheltering Shinobu in warmth and comfort, a soft kiss being placed to the top of his head over his mess of hair. He felt his cheeks grow hot, and for a few seconds, he lazily cuddled against Miyagi's chest, only before remembering he was upset with this man, and once he did, he pushed away from the hug with a humph and took residence on the other side of the bed.

"Shinobu..." Miyagi's voice was slightly whined, but Shinobu said nothing, using a pillow to cover his head so that he wouldn't have to hear the complaint. Miyagi went quiet, and Shinobu glanced behind himself after a few minutes of silence, only to see that the man had fallen asleep before he could even finish his protest. Shinobu stared at him for a few long moments, before finally sneaking out of bed, and he kept his scowl as he loosened Miyagi's tie and took it off of the man, unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt to make him more comfortable, and lifting up the blankets to tuck him in. He did this all silently, before turning his back to move on, before a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving and sleeping on the couch tonight as he had planned.

"Shinobu-chin." Miyagi's voice was gruff from drowsiness, and before Shinobu could respond, he was pulled back into the bed yet again. Strong arms wrapped around his form, holding him close, Shinobu's face pressed against the older man's chest. "Stay."

Before he could even try to protest, a snore came from the man's lips, and he was dead to the world, yet his grip on his younger partner hadn't loosened in the slightest. After a few minutes of wiggling around and trying to pry free, he finally gave in, letting out a long sigh and relaxing in the hold for the night.

* * *

He was surprised when it was morning.

Shinobu didn't remember falling asleep, and it was a blur waking up, but sure enough, he must have nodded off sometime in the night. It was late in the afternoon, and Miyagi was gone, leaving an empty space in the bed unclaimed next to Shinobu's own.

The blond grunted to himself, picking himself up and padding out of the room. Miyagi wasn't anywhere in the house, in fact, something that caught him quite off guard, and although he was still upset about last night, it worried him slightly to wonder where that man could have gone. He had said that he didn't have work today, and the only reason Shinobu could think the man would be missing is if he had been called back despite his so-called free day. That, or he was making some arrangements on his own time, but Shinobu couldn't imagine what those would be.

He was starting to gather some clothes to wear for today when he found a surprise waiting for him on the coffee table; a single rose and a pristine white bag, along with a note. The note was vague, at best, telling Shinobu that both gifts were for him and to wait at their apartment for some plans in the evening, adding that some clothes he wanted Shinobu to wear for today were in the bag beside the flower. It didn't go into much more detail beyond that, didn't explain this at all, and yet, seeing the precious red rose sat on the table, it's crimson petals vibrant against the calm colors of the room- it made his heart skip a beat and his face turn the same color, and he lifted the rose up to his nose, just to take in both its scent and the moment.

He took his time getting into the shower and brushing through his hair, before toweling off and heading back into the living room where he had left his second gift. Opening it up, he frowned, wondering why Miyagi would have him wear something like this, but he decided to give this note the benefit of the doubt and dressed himself in the clothes Miyagi had bought for him. Sitting at the kitchen table and twirling the rose around in his fingers, he waited, wondering if Miyagi would truly come when evening did.

The sound of a key sliding into the lock on their door roused Shinobu, and he got off the chair just as Miyagi stepped inside. Shinobu was slightly taken aback immediately at the sight of the other man, but that may be perhaps he was usually so used to Miyagi coming in like a brain dead zombie every other night, and seeing him wearing a new, pristine suit, different from his work clothes and even holding a bouquet of roses-

Now he was suspicious. "What are you doing here?" He asked this all too sourly, and it was Miyagi's turn to be shocked.

He offered a lame answer. "I... live here...?" Or, perhaps, instead of shocked, just mildly puzzled. Shinobu crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

"Not just that. With all of it. You've never bought me roses. Or anything like this." Finally, he gestured down to himself, to the green kimono he was wearing, with a beautiful show of white blossoms threaded into the soft fabric and a golden obi tied at the back. "Isn't this too- too _feminine_?"

Miyagi blinked, before he chuckled, setting the rejected bouquet of roses down on the counter. "I think you look cute." His fist nudged the top of Shinobu's head affectionately, only receiving a look of utter death in response, which made him decisively pull back his hand.

Shinobu glanced at the roses, and then Miyagi again, and he drew his own conclusions. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" He pointed his finger at Miyagi in an accusatory way. "You're taking me out to a fancy dinner just to break up!"

Miyagi's eyes widened. "Why would you say that?"

"Why would you do this for me otherwise?" He jabbed his finger against Miyagi's chest, his eyes starting to tear up as his voice became strained. "You're just being nice to me so that I don't feel as hurt when you leave me forever-"

His words dissolved into a soft sound going muffled against a pair of lips that weren't his own. Longer fingers than his had snaked around the hand pushing at Miyagi's chest, using that pushing hand to pull instead, Shinobu being tugged against Miyagi and snatched up in a kiss. He broke the kiss almost immediately, but was pulled into another just as quick, a hand going to the small of his back to trap him there and keep him steady.

Miyagi's lips felt rough against his own, but their movement was gentle, and the hand at his back traveled up, fingers threading through the thick strands of his hair. Miyagi treated him so preciously, but as Shinobu struggled to get free and found he couldn't, he projected his frustration against Miyagi's lips, kissing him heatedly. He bit at Miyagi's mouth in a sloppy manner to try to make him gasp out, but Miyagi took it all in stride and pushed Shinobu's back up against the closed door instead, pinning one of Shinobu's wrists up against the wall and the other between their forms, even as it pushed against him still to no avail.

Miyagi's fingers grabbed onto a fistful of hair and tugged, and it was Shinobu's turn to gasp out, only to be rewarded with a tongue sliding through his parted lips, feeling hot as it explored his mouth freely. At that, he finally pried away, turning his head from Miyagi so that he couldn't snatch his lips up again. This only prompted Miyagi to go for his neck, that familiar tongue running over his skin until finding a soft spot and nipping at it with gentle teeth, and as his lips went to work against the sensitive area, Shinobu felt his knees wobble, his breath shake.

They slid towards the ground as Shinobu lost the strength to stand. Miyagi settled on his knees, Shinobu much more awkwardly settling in his lap, back pressed against the door and gently arched, cheeks painted in hues of pinks and reds. His eyes held storms in them, staring above and away from Miyagi, not fighting against hands that enclosed his own and settled their intertwined fingers between them. When Miyagi moved away, a kiss was pressed to the bruise on his neck, hot breath tickling the raw skin and making Shinobu shiver.

Miyagi took it all in, swallowed the boy with his eyes. His gaping lips and wide-eyed expression, the sharpness in Shinobu's breathing. Yet again, he couldn't help but describe the sight in front of him as incredibly adorable.

He waited until Shinobu had recovered before speaking up. "Will you go out to dinner with me, Shinobu?"

The blond looked away, and Miyagi pulled him close again, enveloping him into a hug. They stayed that way on the floor for seconds that felt like hours, the silence seeping into the room as Miyagi held his breath, and he finally got to his feet and Shinobu to his own when he heard a softly muttered "yes".

Miyagi opened the door and held it open for Shinobu, watching as the younger stepped outside, hand over the mark in his skin. On the way out, Miyagi grabbed something from the counter, and as they both stood outside the door in the darkness of the hallways, a thornless rose was slid behind Shinobu's ear and settled in his hair, and as the door was closed and locked behind them, Miyagi accompanied his boyfriend outside by the hand, the sign of affection hidden in the empty hallways and the solitary walk to the car. Only when Shinobu slid inside the seat next to Miyagi did he let go of the man's hand, letting him drive them off to wherever he had planned this date to be.

* * *

Shinobu watched his pair of geta hit the ground below with each step that he took, the wooden sandals smacking against his heel every time he lifted his foot to take another pace forward. His hands held themselves in front of them, no matter how much they yearned to hold Miyagi's instead, and only a few times did he glance at the older man, who didn't seem to notice the gazes as he walked them to a restaurant up ahead.

The sun had settled comfortably into the horizon by the time they arrived, and while it was a sparsely packed restaurant to begin with, they were seated away from all other tables, in a much more secluded area, not another person in sight with the exception of their server. Shinobu let Miyagi handle everything, his laced together hands now sitting in his lap, his eyes sweeping across the private area and putting every detail of the place to memory. Shinobu and Miyagi didn't do this sort of thing.

Ever.

But... he liked it.

As they were left alone, Shinobu finally spoke for the first time in a while, having been quiet during the whole drive here. "Why are you taking me out to eat at someplace like this?"

"Well, as a change from the usual cabbage stir-fry-"

"What, you don't like my cabbage stir-fry anymore? I thought you said I was getting better-!"

"I do!" He held his hands up in defense, and Shinobu let out a sigh, letting Miyagi speak. "And I have. But there's nothing wrong with a change now and then."

Shinobu wasn't buying it. "Why go out of your way like this, though? It's as if you've been planning it for weeks now."

Miyagi shook his head. "Just since this morning, when you were sleeping."

Shinobu gritted his teeth. He could hear music playing from somewhere, dancing in the air and trickling into their secluded room. It was a calming, pleasant tune, but he was neither calm nor pleasant. "Why!"

He was getting more than a little impatient with Miyagi's skillfully dodging of his questions, and he was saved yet again from addressing any sort of answer when someone came back to pour them some vintage-looking wine. Shinobu wouldn't know, and didn't frankly care, opening his mouth the second they were left alone again after Miyagi had ordered food for them both, but all his lips were met by was the cool edge of his wine glass. Shinobu looked at Miyagi with an irritated expression, while Miyagi just looked a little sheepish to receive it, and Shinobu took his glass from the professor and forcibly put it back down on the table.

At that, Miyagi sighed, finally giving in. "I wanted some way to prove to you that I'm more committed to this than you think I am."

Shinobu, relieved to finally get an answer to his nagging, didn't waste any time in questioning what he had said. "Committed to what?"

He waved a hand around. "Us. This relationship." Shinobu frowned, but didn't interrupt as Miyagi went on. "You're always so quick to think that I'm going to leave you, or planning to, or have lost interest in you every other day. I thought- hoped- that if I took you on a proper date it would some persuade you I'm as serious about this as you are." He waited for Shinobu's answer, but none came, and he chuckled a little awkwardly to himself at the silence. "I'm getting too old. It's been so long since I've done this sort of thing."

Again, nothing. A few quiet minutes lapsed between them before Shinobu carried the conversation on. "Didn't you take my sister out on dates?"

Miyagi seemed surprised at the question. "Risako? We went on a few when we first started out, yes. But we didn't go out very much later on in our marriage. I was either too busy or didn't see it as necessary, and she never brought it up or arranged anything."

"But you think it's necessary with us?"

At that, confusion, and Shinobu couldn't really blame him, as the question didn't truly make much sense. "I don't know if 'necessary' is the right word," he finally decided, a thoughtful expression melting over his features.

"Oh."

"But I'm enjoying this." Shinobu's head snapped up from where it had fallen towards his lap. "I like going on dates with you, Shinobu-chin."

His cheeks burned red, his eyes widening, watching those midnight touched irses dance with a plethora of emotions he couldn't reach. Shinobu picked up his wine glass from where it had been abandoned, hiding a smile behind it, and Miyagi only smiled back as their food came.

The rest of the date was had in a serene silence, and Miyagi walked him out. The sun had disappeared, leaving stars trailing in its wake, puncturing the deep blue sky and swarming around a smiling moon. The only thing different about the canvas view above was the splotches of clouds starting to block out the sky, gathering slowly overhead, suggesting some rainfall later tonight. As they walked the streets together with no one else around, Shinobu dared to reach out and grasp Miyagi's hand, and his fingers were laced with another's, a longer set that somehow still fit perfectly with his own.

Shinobu wished he could tell Miyagi that it wasn't the older man's fault for his outbursts. He knew he was paranoid beyond belief, easy to make jealous. While Miyagi worried about their age difference, Shinobu did, too, but not for the same reason. Miyagi worried he was too old for Shinobu, that he was holding the blond back. But Shinobu knew how lucky he was to be with the man he had a destiny with, how lucky he was to have fate reward him with his three years' worth of love returned. He couldn't help but imagine if, after all this work he put into this, after everything they had been through, someone better and better _suited_ for Miyagi would take the man away.

He didn't know how to put such deep rooted paranoia into words. He didn't know how to tell Miyagi that he'd do anything to ensure that he kept Miyagi's love. He had broken into this man's heart and forced a place for himself like the terrorist he was, and he wasn't going to give that up.

Communication wasn't their strongsuit. Maybe, though, with all Miyagi had said earlier, with the night he had planned, Shinobu couldn't quite say that anymore. Maybe communication just wasn't _his_ strongsuit.

He was broken from his train of thought as something hit his cheek. Letting go of Miyagi's hand, Shinobu reached up, feeling the little spot of dampness on his skin. It came again, on his hand, and when he looked up, his forehead, and slowly it progressed from sprinkling into a downpour without any in-between. The sky had been swallowed by storm, and there they were, in the middle of it, watching it come down on them both.

Shinobu's hand was tugged again, and Miyagi started striding for their car, but Shinobu dug the heels of his platformed footwear into the ground, a feat that nearly set him unbalanced. It caught Miyagi's attention, and the man raised an eyebrow, only to be confronted with a soft pair of lips, kissing the corner of his own. Shinobu's hands had moved to Miyagi's shoulders, his eyes hidden under half-drawn eyelids and thick eyelashes, cold drenching them both and sticking their clothes to their skin.

When Shinobu moved to kiss the opposite corner of his growing smile, Miyagi captured his lips instead. He didn't know why Shinobu had wanted to do this all of a sudden, but he didn't regret kissing him, feeling the warmth of Shinobu's lips against his that was all too welcome of a sensation. Miyagi held Shinobu's form close against his own, feeling the smaller's body heat even through their drenched clothes, wanting nothing more than to hold him even closer.

Maybe their communication could use some work, but they communicated much better without words.

* * *

Shinobu sat curled up in Miyagi's lap, their skin slightly damp and cold but their clothes changed into something warmer. Blankets curled around them both, Miyagi's back propped against an assortment of thick pillows, his arms loosely wrapped around Shinobu's and his chin rested against the top of Shinobu's head. Shinobu listened to his lover's silent snores as he stared out to the storm from their window, watching the droplets of rain race each other down against the glass.

He shifted, waking Miyagi accidentally, but all he got for it was a warmer and more secure embrace as Miyagi adjusted and fell asleep again. Maybe he truly was an old man, passing out so quickly, but Shinobu didn't mind. He liked the peacefulness, the sounds rain left pattering against their rooftop, the memory of warm lips pressed against his in the cold.

Shinobu's hand reached out, grabbing a thick blanket and tugging it over them both. He stared out to the window for a while longer, slowly letting his eyes close, and when he did, it was with a contented smile and a sigh, relaxing in the embrace of the one he loved most.

* * *

 **This is my second time writing for this fandom, and for Terrorist, so I can't say if I quite captured their cuteness correctly, but I hope you enjoyed reading it enough. Have a great day! :3**


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